1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in a tank of a heat exchanger and a method of producing the tank, and more particularly to the tank provided with partition plates for dividing the inside of the tank.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto it has been well known that a tank main body of a heat exchanger is provided with partition plates which divide the inside of the tank main body, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication 7-40864. The essential part of this heat exchanger is shown in detail in FIG. 7, in which the tank main body 1 of the hollow cylindrical shape is formed with an arcuate cutout 1a through which the partition plate 2 is inserted and disposed inside the tank main body 1. The partition plate 2 includes a generally semicircular large diameter section 2a and a generally semicircular small diameter section 2b which are integral with each other to be formed into the disc-shape. The large diameter section 2a has a periphery corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the tank main body (or of the cutout), while the small diameter section 2b has a periphery corresponding to the inner peripheral shape of the tank main body.
The tank main body 1 is further formed with a plurality of tube openings 1b into which the end sections of tubes 3 are inserted and fitted. The tubes 3 form part of a core of the heat exchanger. The tube openings 1b are located on opposite side of the cutout 1a in the tank main body 1. A corrugated fin 4 is fixedly disposed between the adjacent tubes 3.
The partition plate 2 will be fixed to the tank main body 1 as follows: Impacts are simultaneously applied from the directions of arrows A and B onto upper and lower edge portions around the cutout 1a in a state where the partition plate 2 has been inserted through the cutout 1a into the tank main body 1, as shown in FIG. 8A. As a result, the upper and lower edge portions around the cutout 1a make their plastic deformation to form plastic deformation portions 1c, 1c which temporarily fix the partition plate 2 in position in the tank main body 1, as shown in FIG. 8B.
However, drawbacks have been encountered in such a conventional producing method of the tank of the heat exchanger, in which a relatively high precision working process is required to temporarily fix the partition plate through the cutout 1a into the tank main body 1a. In other words, in the conventional producing method, it is required to apply the impacts in predetermined angles to the partition plates 2. More specifically, it is required to precisely apply the impacts from the predetermined angles under a condition in which the cutout 1a of the tank main body 1 is positioned at a high precision.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved tank of a heat exchanger and an improved method of producing the tank, which can overcome drawbacks encountered in conventional tanks for heat exchangers and methods for producing the tanks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tank of a heat exchanger and an improved method of producing the tank, in which a partition plate for dividing the inside of a tank main body is easily and securely temporarily fixed through a cutout to the tank main body of the tank.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved tank of a heat exchanger and an improved method of producing the tank, in which a partition plate for dividing the inside of a tank main body is temporarily securely fixed prior to fixation by brazing, without requiring a high precise working process.
An aspect of the present invention resides in a tank of a heat exchanger. The tank comprises a cylindrical hollow tank main body formed of aluminum and having an arcuate cutout formed through a wall of the tank main body. A partition plate is formed of aluminum and includes a generally semicircular small diameter section, and a generally semicircular small diameter section which is integral with the generally large diameter section to be formed into a generally disc-shape. The generally large diameter section has an arcuate outer periphery which corresponds to a shape of an outer periphery of the tank main body. The generally small diameter section has an arcuate outer periphery which corresponds to a shape of an inner periphery of the tank main body. First and second projections are radially outwardly protrude respectively from opposite end portions of the generally semicircular large diameter section. The opposite end portions correspond to the respective opposite end parts of the arcuate periphery of the generally semicircular large diameter section. In the tank, the partition plate is temporarily fixed to the tank main body by riveting the first and second projections in a state in which the partition plate has been inserted through the cutout of the tank main body so that a major part of the partition plate is located inside the tank main body, and the partition plate is brazed to the tank main body in a state in which the plate has been temporarily fixed.
With the above tank, the partition plate is temporarily fixed through the cutout to the tank main body by riveting the projections of the partition plate from the opposite sides of the tank man body in a condition in which the partition plate is inserted through the cutout into the tank main body, thereby easily and securely accomplishing the temporary fixation of the partition plate.
Another aspect of the present invention resides in a method for producing a tank of a heat exchanger. The method comprises (a) preparing a cylindrical hollow tank main body formed of aluminum and having an arcuate cutout formed through a wall of the tank main body; (b) preparing a partition plate formed of aluminum and including a generally semicircular small diameter section, and a generally semicircular small diameter section which is integral with the generally large diameter section to be formed into a generally disc-shape, the generally large diameter section having an arcuate outer periphery which corresponds to a shape of an outer periphery of the tank main body, the generally small diameter section having an arcuate outer periphery which corresponds to a shape of an inner periphery of the tank main body, the partition plate having first and second projections which radially outwardly protrude respectively from opposite end portions of the generally semicircular large diameter section, the opposite end portions corresponding to the respective opposite end parts of the arcuate periphery of the generally semicircular large diameter section; (c) inserting the partition plate through the cutout of the tank main body so that a major part of the partition plate is located inside the tank main body; (d) riveting first and second projections by first and second riveting jigs which are movably disposed at opposite sides of the tank main body so as to temporarily fix the partition plate to the tank main body; and (e) brazing the partition plate to the tank main body in a state in which the partition plate has been temporarily fixed to the tank main body.
With the above production method, the projections of the partition plate are riveted from the opposite sides of the tank main body by a pair of the riveting jigs after the partition plate has been inserted through the cutout into the tank main body so as to temporarily fix the partition plate through the cutout into the tank main body, thus easily and securely achieving the temporary fixation of the partition plate.